Office Space

John Pomara has art down to a science. The abstract painter relies on modern contraptions such as fax machines and copiers to produce his work. "It's all about a personal touch and mechanical engagement fused together on the same picture plane," Pomara says. "But the idea of a personal touch is changing. This isn't the 1950s. A gesture now is different from what it was." The artist's rational process and dependence on technology makes his work truly contemporary, which shows in the 12-year retrospective of his body of elegant abstractions--made using oil enamel and varathane on paper, canvas and aluminum--that is on display at the Dallas Center for Contemporary Art, 2801 Swiss Ave. The exhibit by Pomara, who was named as the gallery's 2005 Legends artist, opens the fall season of the Contemporary with a reception from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday. Admission is free for members, $10 for nonmembers and $5 for students. The artist, along with well-known arts professional Janet Kutner and arts patrons Marguerite and Robert Hoffman, will be honored 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday during the Legends party. A gourmet spread from celebrated Dallas nosh spots will be laid out in the gallery space along with a martini bar and select wines. Suggested attire is black and white cocktail with a swatch of saffron in honor of The Gates, Central Park, New York, 1979-2005, by New York artists Christo and Jean Claude. Tickets are $100 for members and $125 for non-members. The exhibit, which runs through October 22, is free and open to the public 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Call 214-821-2522 or visit www.thecontemporary.net. --Emily Jacobs

Forget Thee Not

9/11

On the fourth anniversary of September 11, the Dallas Museum of Art looks at that day and its aftermath from an artistic point of view--but not in a flippant or pedantic way. Southern Methodist University's Dr. Allesandra Comini examines art as it relates to the terrorist attacks and whether art can help us find purpose with In Memoriam: Spirituality in Art. The yellow haze, the missing persons fliers, memorial flowers that appeared in the city's parks seemed almost like an art installation--burned into our memories like a Picasso painting. Like other masterpieces, those images also had a greater purpose. By absorbing it, so do we. The free lecture is 2 p.m. Sunday in the Horchow Auditorium, 1717 N. Harwood St. A concert follows. Call 214-913-2244 or visit www.dallasmuseumofart.org.
--S. Anne Durham

Reunited

9/10

A gallery still open after 10 years is reason enough to celebrate. But that's not the only one that Gallery 414 has for breaking out the bubbly and noisemakers. There have been 11 Gallery Night openings, 62 exhibits, 120 artists displayed and one tornado in March 2000 that wrecked most of the neighborhood around the gallery. Leave the confetti behind (but not the cash and credit) for the opening reception and Fort Worth Art Dealers' Associations Gallery Night celebration of Gallery 414's Blink: 1995-2005, featuring previously displayed artists, 14 locals and once-locals, including Janet Tyson, Steve Cruz, Rosemary Meza, Jennifer Pepper and John Frost. The party is 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, and the show runs through October 9 at 414 Templeton Drive in Fort Worth. Call 817-336-6595. --Shannon Sutlief

Smart Pet Tricks

9/14

For once, the Kitchen Dog Theater actually has dogs. It hosts a party from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the pet-friendly bar, the Pooch Patio, 3811 Fairmount St., to kick off the new season, which starts Friday with Bug. But dogs being invited isn't the weirdest thing about the party. It might be that there will be "pet readings" available. Or that artists will be on hand to paint a portrait of Fido. Or maybe the weirdest thing will be the shows KDT's booked for this year. Prime example: Debbie Does Dallas, that porno from the '70s, is now a musical without the sex, which will premiere at KDT next fall. Call 214-953-2258 or visit www.kitchendogtheater.org. --Paul Kix

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